Business news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Publisher shakes fist at Valve for delaying their game as it reaches just 15 players on Steam
Wheel Make It, a co-op comedy game published by 2 Left Thumbs, reached a peak of just 15 concurrent Steam players after launching on 1 November. The publisher blames the low-key release partly on Valve’s review delays, which it says disrupted the game’s planned launch and the momentum built from more than 11,000 wishlists.
The game was due on 12 October but was not approved until 25 October, after failing review over a resolution setting that could not be accessed with a controller. The publisher says Steam would not let it choose a new launch date, forcing an unannounced release; the game had 11 reviews, 90% positive, and cost $5. Other developers have also described review delays, though the article says it is unclear how much the growth of AI-assisted submissions has affected Steam’s queue.
In short
- Wheel Make It peaked at 15 concurrent players on Steam.
- Its publisher says Valve’s review delays disrupted launch plans.
- The game had over 11,000 wishlists before its delayed release.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The publisher has a reasonable case that the delay undermined a launch whose timing and promotion had been planned around more than 11,000 wishlists. If Steam’s system prevented it from choosing a replacement date and left it to release without notice, that could have cost the game visibility and made it harder to convert interest into players.
The case against
Valve has a reasonable case for reviewing releases and requiring developers to fix problems that could prevent players from using a game, including controller accessibility issues. Approval delays may reflect the demands of handling submissions fairly and consistently; the article does not establish how much the delay, rather than other launch factors, contributed to the low player count.
Explained simply
Steam is Valve’s online shop and community for PC games. Developers submit games for review before they can set a release date there; approval can cover technical requirements as well as whether a game can be sold.
Wheel Make It is a co-operative comedy game, released by publisher 2 Left Thumbs. The publisher says it had built interest through more than 11,000 Steam wishlists, but approval came after its planned release date, and it says it could not choose a replacement date.
Steam review delays have also been reported by other developers, though their causes and effects are not clear. The issue matters to smaller publishers because a release date can shape how players hear about a game and decide to buy it.
Business Companies Entertainment Gaming